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Site Plan 434 Overlay
Click the
image to switch between the site plan and the overlay
How Many Acres?
The developer and city staff have said that the proposal
will only take 11 acres from Allan Witt Park's current 46.5 acres.
That is a misleading statement, carefully crafted to imply that this
project
would have only a small impact on the park.
We disagree.
An analysis of the site plan conceptual drawing reveals some startling
facts. The present park does not include 12.4 acres (areas NW1a, NW1b,
part of SE1, and part of the Aquatic Center and parking lot) of the
proposed 58 acre development site shown on the site plan.
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Current
|
Proposed
|
Change
|
Grass
and fields
|
36.2
ac
|
17.9
ac
|
-51%
|
Recreation
facilities
|
9.4
ac
|
10.5
ac
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+12%
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Private
non-park property
|
12.4
ac
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29.6
ac
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+139%
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Total
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58
ac
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58
ac
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- Slashes green park space in half
- Needlessly moves or destroys current amenities
Comfort Zones and Captive Spaces
The site plan analysis excludes buffer space around buildings
and captive spaces between buildings from the calculations of green
space and recreation areas. Excluded areas amount to 3.5 acres
according to the city's estimates of private development (26 acres).
Excluding roads and parking lots from recreation space, the park would
shrink to half its present size from 41 acres to 21 acres. We
think that is
significant.
The red areas on the overlay include more space than the outlines of
buildings shown in the site plan. Park visitors will not venture into
areas closely surrounded by or in front of private residences.
People do not feel comfortable or relaxed close to or under the windows
of private residences, watched by unseen observers. Small areas between
buildings, surrounded by multi-storey housing and apartments are
useless as
community park space. Without clear markings between public and private
space, park visitors might even be intimidated and chased from public
areas claimed as the personal turf of nearby residents.
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